HW450 Unit 2 Client-Centered Coaching Intake Note Example

Reviewed by Elspeth Marlowe, MSN, RN Applied Health Coaching Purdue University Global Free custom sample in 24 to 48h

An intake note for Teresa, a Boise payroll specialist in a three-month lifestyle trial for stage 1 hypertension who cares for her mother with Alzheimer's, is presented as it would sit in a coaching record in this HW450 Unit 2 client-centered intake note. Her two goals appear in her own words: staying off blood pressure pills and having more patience with her mother. Clinic readings of 136/86 and 138/88 are recorded only as she reported them. Wolever and colleagues' definition of coaching as client-centered supports the wording, the national hypertension guideline led by Whelton is noted as the clinician's tool and Schulz and Beach's caregiver study explains why caregiving is context, not a problem to fix. Purdue Global HW 450 asks BS in Health and Wellness students to document within scope. Commentary explains each choice, including what was left out at her request.

CourseHW450 Applied Health Coaching
UnitUnit 2
Paper typeClient-centered intake note
LengthAbout 820 words, 5 pages double-spaced
FormatAPA 7 student paper
SchoolPurdue University Global
ProgramBS in Health and Wellness
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for HW450 Unit 2

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"Stay Off the Pills and Have More Patience With Mom": A Unit 2 Client-Centered Intake Note for a Coaching Client With Stage 1 Hypertension

[Student Name]

Purdue University Global

HW450: Applied Health Coaching

Unit 2 Client-Centered Intake Note

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

The client, family and figures are composite; the standards and sources cited are real.

What this part is doingPromising commentary on what was left out in the lead shows the note was written with professional standards in mind.
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The Intake Note

Client. Teresa, 47. Self-referred through her employer's wellness benefit after a physician visit. Eight video sessions over sixteen weeks agreed.

Reason for coaching, in her words. "My doctor says my blood pressure is borderline and she'd rather I try changing things before pills. I want to stay off the pills. And honestly I want to have more patience with Mom."

What she reported from her physician. Two clinic readings, 136/86 and 138/88, described to her as stage 1 hypertension. Physician advised home blood pressure monitoring twice a day for a week each month, less salt, more activity and less alcohol, with a recheck in three months. No medications. Coach did not review or interpret medical records.

Life context. Lives with her husband, a construction worker, their 16-year-old son and her 79-year-old mother, who has Alzheimer's disease and moved in a year ago. Teresa is the main caregiver in the evenings and at night; her mother wakes once or twice most nights. Works 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at a desk.

Current habits, as she described them. Lunch is a frozen meal or deli sandwich at her desk. Dinners are often takeout "because by six I can't think." Walks little beyond the office. Most evenings end with wine, one glass or two, "to decompress." Sleeps about six and a half broken hours.

What matters to her. Her mother's comfort, her son finishing high school well, "not ending up like my dad," who had a stroke at 63, and having some time to herself.

Strengths she named. Organized, good at routines, "I do payroll for 4,000 people, I can handle a spreadsheet." Her husband is supportive. Her sister, ten minutes away, has said she could take an evening a week.

Readiness. Importance of lowering blood pressure 9 out of 10. Confidence 5. She said the biggest obstacle is evenings.

First steps she chose. Take home blood pressure readings for one week as her physician asked and bring the log to session two. Keep a three-day food record using a free app.

Coach notes for next session. Explore evenings and caregiving load; explore what wine means to her in the evening without judgment; ask about her sister's offer.

The note records Teresa's reasons in her own words because those words, not mine, will be read back to her when motivation fades.

What this part is doingHighlighting why the client's words are kept verbatim shows the note was written to serve the coaching, not only the file.
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Commentary on the Choices

Her words, not labels. The reasons, values and habits are recorded as she said them. I did not write "client drinks daily" or "poor diet," which would be judgments. Wolever et al. (2013) describe coaching as a patient-centered approach in which the client determines the goals and the coach supports self-discovery and accountability; a note written in the client's language keeps that stance in the record.

Medical information as reported, not interpreted. I recorded her readings and her physician's advice only as she reported them and noted that I did not review her records. A coach can know that stage 1 hypertension is the category her physician named, but the national guideline that defines the categories and treatment is applied by clinicians, not coaches (Whelton et al., 2018). The note avoids anything that looks like a clinical assessment.

Caregiving recorded as context, not a problem to fix. Her mother's illness is central to her stress and her evenings, and it is recorded factually. Caring for a spouse with health problems while experiencing strain has been linked to a higher risk of death in older caregivers (Schulz & Beach, 1999), which is one reason caregiver strain matters for health, but that is not a judgment I put in her note.

What was left out. Details about her mother's diagnosis beyond what Teresa chose to share, her son's school difficulties, which she mentioned in passing but did not want recorded, and her husband's work schedule, which was not relevant. She asked that the note not mention the wine, and I explained that I would record it as she had described it because it relates to her physician's advice, but that the note is shared with no one without her permission. She agreed.

Consent and access. Teresa signed the program's consent form. The note is visible to her, to me and to my supervisor, and would be shared with her physician only if she asks.

What the Note Sets Up

The note gives session two a clear starting point: her blood pressure log, her food record and the evenings. It also records her two goals in her own words, which will anchor every later plan.

What this part is doingEnding with how the note shapes the next session shows documentation used as a working tool.
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References

Schulz, R., & Beach, S. R. (1999). Caregiving as a risk factor for mortality: The Caregiver Health Effects Study. JAMA, 282(23), 2215-2219. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.282.23.2215

Whelton, P. K., Carey, R. M., Aronow, W. S., Casey, D. E., Jr., Collins, K. J., Dennison Himmelfarb, C., DePalma, S. M., Gidding, S., Jamerson, K. A., Jones, D. W., MacLaughlin, E. J., Muntner, P., Ovbiagele, B., Smith, S. C., Jr., Spencer, C. C., Stafford, R. S., Taler, S. J., Thomas, R. J., Williams, K. A., Sr., ... Wright, J. T., Jr. (2018). 2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults. Hypertension, 71(6), e13-e115. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYP.0000000000000065

Wolever, R. Q., Simmons, L. A., Sforzo, G. A., Dill, D., Kaye, M., Bechard, E. M., Southard, M. E., Kennedy, M., Vosloo, J., & Yang, N. (2013). A systematic review of the literature on health and wellness coaching: Defining a key behavioral intervention in healthcare. Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 2(4), 38-57. https://doi.org/10.7453/gahmj.2013.042

What the HW450 Unit 2 assignment asks for

In Unit 2, you write the intake note for a coaching client and explain how it meets professional standards. The note should record the reason for coaching, goals and values in the client's own words, relevant life context, current habits as described, strengths, readiness and first steps. Medical information belongs only as the client or referral reports it, never interpreted. Instructors also look at what is left out: judgments, labels and details the client did not want recorded. Many prompts ask for commentary on these choices and on consent and access. The note should set up the next session, so it often ends with the coach's plan for what to explore. Brief, factual language without diagnoses is the expected register for the whole document.

How the HW 450 Unit 2 example is put together

The note opens with the client, how she came to coaching and the agreed eight sessions. Her reason and goals are quoted. Her physician's readings and advice appear as reported, with a line that the coach did not review records. Life context covers her household and her mother's illness, and current habits are recorded in her words, from desk lunches to wine. Values, strengths, readiness and the first steps she chose follow, with coach notes for session two. A highlighted line explains why her words are kept verbatim. The commentary covers labels avoided, medical data handled as reported, caregiving as context, what was left out and how consent and access work. A final section shows how the note sets up the next session.

Reading the HW450 Unit 2 grading rubric

Intake notes earn credit for being client-centered, accurate and within scope. Goals and values should appear in the client's words. Graders reward factual recording of habits without labels such as noncompliant or poor diet. Medical information should be clearly marked as reported, not interpreted. The note should be organized so a supervisor could follow it quickly. Commentary that explains choices, especially omissions and consent, shows professional judgment. A note that sets up the next session demonstrates it is a working document. Sources on coaching, hypertension guidance and caregiving support the commentary and belong in APA 7.

Common HW450 Unit 2 mistakes, and how to avoid them

Intake notes often read like medical charts, with diagnoses and assessments a coach is not qualified to make. Another frequent weakness is labeling the client's behavior instead of recording it. Some writers include sensitive details the client asked to keep out, or omit details that matter to the coaching. Notes that never mention consent or who can read them miss a standards requirement. Commentary is sometimes skipped even when the prompt asks for it. Before writing, reread the intake and underline every phrase the client actually said; build the note around those phrases. Send your intake details, and the note can be drafted with commentary.

Get an HW450 Unit 2 example written to your instructions

Share the intake information and the instructions with the rubric. A custom note documents the intake in the client's words and within scope. Turnaround is 24-48h, free the first time. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.

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HW450 Unit 2 questions, answered

What makes a note client-centered?

It records the client's goals, values and words rather than the coach's judgments.

Should the note include medical data?

Only as reported by the client or the referral, without interpretation.

Who reads coaching notes?

Often the coaching supervisor and, with consent, the client's clinicians.

Where can I find a free HW450 Unit 2 sample paper?

The complete HW450 Unit 2 client-centered intake note is on this page, documenting a coaching intake for a caregiver with stage 1 hypertension, with commentary on each choice.

Why are the client's words quoted in the HW450 Unit 2 sample?

Her own words keep the note client-centered, avoid the coach's judgments and give the coach something to read back to her when motivation fades.